PORT ST. JOE
History
Nestled behind the barrier island of Port St. Joe Peninsula, Port St. Joe remains a bastion of seclusion among a abundance of ever-growing tourist destinations. Its secluded bays and beaches drew Native American settlers to the area centuries ago, and today its bringing back travelers to its quiet and unspoiled beauty.
Its sheltered bay has been a port of commerce since the early 1600s. Scallops, oysters and other shellfish, and marine life have drawn settlers for centuries. Today those same crustaceans bring a successful commercial harvesting trade to the area. Along with farms in Apalachicola, a little further south, the region provides a significant percentage of oysters and scallops for Florida consumers as well as the nation.
Named by Franciscan monks while missionaries to the
Apalachee Tribes during the first half of the 1600s,
St. Joe has flourished as a port city due mainly to
its ideal location on both seaward trade routes and
interior river corridors.
Today
Port St. Joe Peninsula, with its miles of beaches both Gulf side and leeward into St. Joseph Bay, offers visitors a wide swathe of unspoiled beaches – named some of the best and safest in the country.
The northern tip of the peninsula, encompassing more than 1,700 acres, was designated a nature preserve in the mid-1970s. Today visitors can access St. Joseph Peninsula State Park through interior hiking trails or along the shoreline by canoe or kayak. There they can enjoy nature, as it was intended, pure and untamed. Primitive camping is permitted in designated areas and more modern cabins are available for rental.
Gulf County, comprised of Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka and a small number of outlying communities, lies in the Apalachicola River and Chipola River basin. Also home to the tupelo gum tree, the basin is the only place in the world where the unique golden nectar called “tupelo honey” is farmed commercially.
Film director Victor Nunez was so taken with the honey that he asked Wewahitchka beekeepers Ben and L.L. Lanier to help consult on his movie “Ulee’s Gold.” The 1997 film, starring Peter Fonda and Patricia Richardson, was shot in and around the area. Beekeepers Ben, Glynnis, L.L. and Martha Lanier, not only had film credits as consultants; they also had small acting parts.
The downtown areas and historic districts have undergone revitalization, now providing guests with the best of modern conveniences, with the charm of Victorian Era architecture.
Weather
- Average yearly temperature: 77
- Hottest month: July – average high 90
- Coldest month: Jan. – average low 43
- Annual rainfall: 56 inches
- Monthly average rainfall: 4.7 inches
- Wettest month: July – 7.31 inches
- Driest month: May – 2.62 inches
- Record high temperature: Aug. 1995 – 103
- Record low temperature: Jan. 1985 – 9
- Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 each year
- Major hurricanes (Category 3 and higher) that have struck the Northwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the past 154 years: 14
[As of 08/06/05 – source NOAA]
Demographics
- Population (2000 census): 3,644
- Total Area: 3.3 square miles
- Per capita income: $16,205
- Median family income: $39,489
- Median age: 42
- Population ratio (males: females): 88.4:100
- Major industry: oysters and scallops, honey farming, tourism
Local Directory
Schools
- Port St. Joe Elementary – 2201 Long Ave. – (850) 227-1221
- Port St. Joe Middle – 191 Middle School Road – (850) 227-3211
- Port St. Joe High School – 100 Shark Drive – (850) 229-8251
- Wewahitchka Elementary – 514 E River Road – (850) 639-5377
- Wewahitchka Middle – 190 Alligator Alley – (850) 637-6840
- Wewahitchka High School – One Gator Circle – (850) 639-2228
- Gulf Coast Community College satellite campus – 3800 Garrison Ave. – (800) 311-3685
Law Enforcement
- Gulf County Sheriff’s Department – 1000 Cecil G. Costin St. – Port St. Joe, (850) 227-1115
- Wewahitchka Substation (GCSO) – 310 N. Highway 71 – (850) 639-6626
- Port St. Joe Police Department – 410 Williams Ave. – (850) 229-8265
Post Office
- 502 Monument Ave. – (850) 229-8657
- 625 15th Street – (850) 648-2208
- 432 Highway 22, Wewahitchka – (850) 639-2242
Library
- 110 Library Drive – (850) 229-8879
Fire Department
- Highland View Volunteer Fire Department – 132 Snapper Street – (850) 229-8996
City Hall
- City of Port St. Joe – 4300 County Road 381 – (850) 639-3402
- City of Wewahitchka – 109 S 2nd Street – (850) 639-2605
- Chief Administrator (Gulf County) – (850) 229-6111
Gulf County Chamber of Commerce
- 104 4th Street – (850) 227- 9553 or (850) 227-1223
Airport
- Apalachicola Municipal Airport – (850) 653-2222 – About 20 miles south of Port St. Joe. Public service airport does not provide service to commercial airlines.
For Things to Do in Port St. Joe, click here.
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Apalachicola | ||
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Crestview |
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Destin |
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Fort
Walton Beach |
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Navarre |
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Niceville | ||
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Panama City | ||
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Port St. Joe | ||
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South Walton | ||